The announcement this past month propelled the small riverside community into the national spotlight as a model of environmental planning. Mondor, principal at evolveEA, has served as the primary consultant to Millvale’s Ecodistrict plan since the project began in 2012 with the support of a 2011 grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection. The community is currently on phase 2.0 of the plan, which will further the original goals of the Ecodistrict plan and focus on improving air quality, mobility and equity.

“We thought it was a good example of how a community can come together and change its local outcome for the best,” says W. Shedrick Coleman, jury chairman for this year’s APA awards. “[Millvale] should be proud of the effort they made and the recognition they received. It should serve as a model for other communities around the country and possibly around the world.”

In addition to her roles at evolveEA and SoA, Mondor also serves separately as head of the Pittsburgh Planning Commission. Going forward, she hopes to continue working with her partners in Millvale to expand the Ecodistrict into neighboring communities.